Improvement in windmills



ZSheetS Sheet 1. G. MARIE. WIND-MILL. No.17Z,755. Patented. Jan.25,1:876.

Fig. 6; [1197-3 N.PETER5, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHEIL WASHINGTON. o c.

ZShe'ets-Sheetl. G. MABIE.

WIND-MILL. No.17Z,755. Patented Jan. 25,1876.

NRPETERS. PHDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES Parmwr GILES MABIE, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDMILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,755, dated January 25, 1876; a plication filed November 20, 1875. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GILES MABIE, of Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windmills, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates, first, to means for holding the mill to the wind when it is used as a power-mill for doing heavy work, such as the grinding of grain, &c., and to devices for facilitating the rotation of the vertical standard on the tower-platform; secondly, my invention relates to a peculiar construction of the hollow cylinder, in combination with a short cylinder connected to the tower-platform, whereby the jumping of the hollow vertical standard, when the mill is doing heavy work or the wind is very high, is prevented; thirdly, to novel devices for adjusting the fanbars, and, consequently, setting the fans in their proper position before the wind and to novel means for shifting the fan-bars and fans, and adjusting them in any desired position to catch the wind or throw them out of the wind, as required.

But that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe the same in detail by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical transverse section, of a mill, constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tower, the vertical standard removed. Fig. 4 is an under-side view of the top plate of the tower. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the vertical hollow standard, and Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are detached views of the adjusting and shifting devices and the end caps of the fan-bars.

Similar letters of reference are employed to represent corresponding parts wherever they may occur in the drawings.

A is the tower, consisting of the uprights a, base and top braces a and the top plate a securedtogether in any substantial and usual or preferred manner. B is the vertical cylinder or standard inclosing the working and shifting rods. This cylinder B is provided at its lower extremity with a broad rim or flange, 1), covering nearly the top of the tower, the upper face of which has a slight inclination,

so as to readily shed the water during rain storms. The periphery of this flange b is provided with a series of ratchet-teeth, 12, formed thereon, or a ratcheted rim may be affixed to said flange, if preferred, in the teeth of which a dog or pawl, O, is made to catch or engage gaged with, one or the other of the ratchet.

teeth b the cylinder B is securely locked in position, thus effectually preventing the wheel from being turned out of the wind by the action of the stones or other mechanism when the mill is used as a power-mill and doing heavy work.

It is well known that when windmills are geared to mechanism for doing heavy worksuch, for example, as the grinding of grain-- the action of the stones, or more properly their resistance to the action of the wind-wheel, will cause the latter to be turned one-quarter more or less out of the wind. Various means have been employed to counteract this action, such as the employment of smaller wheels or vanes connected with the main driving-wheel by a a series of gearing, which vanes or smaller wheels are made to catch the wind as the main wheel is turned out of it, and bring the latter back to its required position, and other similar complicated devices have been used, whereby the defect mentioned has only been partially remedied, as the main windwhecl is thrown considerably out of the wind before the auxiliary wheels are brought to face it, and through their action bring back the main wind-wheel to its required position before the wind.

When it is desired to shift the position of the wind-wheel upon a change of direction of the wind the dog is released from the ratchetteeth by means of a lever, D, pivoted near the ground to one of the uprights a.

To this lein Fig. 1. The other end of said cord or chain is connected to the dog or pawl (l at or near the extremity thereof. It will thus be seen that upon hearing down the lever D the dog or pawl C may be readily disengaged from the ratchet-teeth of the rim or flange I) through the medium of the cord or chain d running over pulley E.

The inner circumference of the lower part of the hollow standard B forms an inwardly-projecting concentric flange or shoulder, b which, when the cylinder is in position revolves with said cylinder B around a smaller cylinder or tube, E, which is rigidly mounted in the platform a of the tower.

The cylinder F projects some distance above the shoulder or flange b of the standard B, and is provided with a stop or set-screw, f, immediately above the concentric flange or shoulder b holding the vertical standard B in position on the platform of the tower; and while said standard is allowed to revolve around the projecting stud or tube F on said platform, it is at the same time prevented from jumping, or,whatis called in windmill parlance, blowing away, when the wind is very high, or when the mil. is doing heavy work, occasioned by the resistance of the stones or other mechanism to theaction of the mainwind-wheel.

In order to facilitate the rotation of the vertical standard B on the platform a of the tower, I employ a series of pulleys or rollers,

I, one on each side of the standard B. These pulleys have their hearings in the top braces a and in the frame a with which the under side of the top plate or platform a is provided; and the pulleys project through slots or holes t'formed in said plate a just sufliciently to prevent the rim or flange b from resting on the platform or plate 01?, and thus form a movable bearing for said rim or flange b and the standard B. v

To further facilitate this revolution of the standard, the top of the platform is provided with a circular groove, a, between the projecting tube F and the arc of the circle intersecting the axes of the pulleys I, as shown in Fig. 3, a similar groove, b being formed on the under side of the rim or flange b of the standard B. A number of balls, b are placed in the groove a, projecting above the level of the rollers or pulleys I, and enter the groove b of the flange b, thus forming an additional movable bearin g for the flange and cylinder B, and greatly facilitating its rotation, owing to the limited frictional contact of said flange with the pulleys and balls.

The principal bearing-points-of the cylinder B being on a line eccentric to the axis of said standard prevents it from sagging, and tends to hold it in its proper position on the platform of the tower.

Various means, more or less effectual, have been employed to steady the vertical standard B on its base or platform, such as counterweights, or by allowing the standard to pro- ,ject downward through the platform of the tower, and holding it there in position on a step, as shown'by my patent of April 2, 1872; but in this construction an increased length ofstandard, and consequent increase of weight of metal, is required, without completely over coming the sagging and jumping of the standard, while in the arrangement of the enlarged flange or rim 1), covering nearly the whole of the platform of the tower, the increase of metal and the weight is distributed evenly outside and around the line or axis of the ver tical standard, forming a broad and solid base, while CO5} bining with it the projecting tube F, with its stopping-pin or setscrcw, not only the sagging but the jumping of the standard B are effectually prevented, and the pulleys and balls at the same time are protected from rain, snow, or ice by the flange b, projecting some distance beyond the circle described by intersecting the axes of the pulleys.

In practice, with a view to economy and solidity, the hollow vertical standard B, with its flaring rim or collar '1) and the shoulder or con- .centric inner flange W, are cast in one piece;

and the top plate M, with itsprojecting frame a is also cast in one piece.

G, Figs. 1 and 8, is the fan-bar, provided in its rear face with a longitudinal groove, 9, extending the whole length of the fan-bar, which has end caps H H both caps having holes h h near their rear edges, coinciding with the grooves g in the fan-bars G, for a purpose hereinafter fully described. The end cap H has also a projecting lug or ear, h provided with a hole, h formed thereon. Said ear or lug k when the cap is in position on the end of the fan-bar, projects forward or in front of the wind-wheel. To this lug or car h is pivoted a connecting or tilting rod, K, consisting of the rod itself, which is screw-threaded at both ends, and the two forks k W, provided with threaded sleeves k is, into which the rod K is screwed, for the purpose of adjusting the position of the fans on the fan-bars G.

The fork K is pivoted to the lug or ear h by means ofa bolt and nut or other equivalent device, and to the fork K is pivoted the horizontal arm or elbow l of the shifting-fork L, consisting of a casting having a main or horizontal arm, Z, and two projecting arm's, Z P, and a transverse arm or brace, l The lower arm l is slightly curved upward, while the upper arm 1 projects downward at an angle to the horizontal arm 1, its end being to a bracket, Z, bolted to the radial arms M,

in any convenient manner, though I prefer in practice to bolt both the bracket and radial arms together with the same bolts to the spider, thus avoiding additional bolts,as well as expense and labor.

In the groove g is located a transverse rod or journal, g, which. passes through the holes h in the end caps H H, and is rigidly a-ffixed to the slotted supports 0, bolted to the radial arms M by mean-s of a tightening-nut, one end of the rod g being screw-threaded for the purpose, and the other end is provided with a rivet or. bolt head. j

The supports 0 are provided with two vertical slots, 0 o, in which the rod g is secured, and by means of this arrangement and construction an eccentric pivotal axis or truss is provided for the fan-bars G, the caps H H of which form their pivotal points, on which they are readily tilted forward or backward, and set to any desired angle to or out of the wind, and by means of the slots 0 in the supports 0 the fan-bars G, and consequently the fans, may be readily adjusted vertically in their relative position with each other-an improvement which will be readily appreciated by Windmill-constructors.

The difficulty in regulating the position of the fan-bars in mills as heretofore constructed consists in the fact that in adjusting them vertically on the radial arms one end of two sections was moved at the same time, while by the construction and arrangement shown and described each fan-bar may be adjusted vertically at either or both ends without affecting the position of the fan-bars adjacent thereto.

The operation of the shifting devices is as follows: The shifting-rod proper and connecting forked levers clamping the flange or boss at, and the connections of said flange n with the flange or boss N on the shaft of the windwheel, are substantially the same as those shown and described in Letters Patent granted to me July 1, 1873. Pressure upon the handlever actuating the shifting-rod proper, will, through the forked levers and flanges nN, cause the shifting device or fork L to move backward, describing an arc of a circle, the center of which is the pivotal connection of said fork L with the bracket Z vBy this movement the horizontal arm or elbow Z is moved upward, and consequently the connecting or tilting rod K is also moved upward, tilting the fan-bars Gr more or less, according to the pressure exerted on the hand-lever of the shifting-rod proper, causing the fan-bars and fans to turn around their axis or truss-journal 9.

By this construction a simple and effective device is provided for setting the fairbars in any desired position before the wind, or tilting them over into a horizontal position completely out of the wind.

I will now proceed to describe the construction of the tower-platform, which, owing to its simplicity and great strength, I prefer to employ, and have adopted in constructing my mills, which consists of the ordinary framework hereinbefore described, and the top plate 0?, also constructed as shown and described. Instead, however, of rigidly afflxing the inner smaller stud or tube F to the top plate a I bolt the same to a secondary plate, M, which, in its turn, is bolted to the frame-work or transverse braces a of the tower, as well as to the pendent frame a of the top plate 04?, and by this construction a more solid basis is obtained for the hollow tube F, as Well as a complete casing in which the rollers or pulleys are mounted, sheltering them completely and efl'ectually from dust or rain, ice or snow. The platform of the tower is also rendered more solid and compact.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is-' 1 A hollow vertical standard of a windmill, having an enlarged flaring rim or flange, provided on its periphery with a series of ratchet-teeth, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The ratcheted flange b of the vertical standard B, in combination with the locking pawl or dog, substantially as and for the purposes specified. v

3. The release mechanism of the locking dog or pawl, consisting of the cord or chain (1, the lever D, and pulley E, in combination with said dog or pawl, the ratcheted flange b, and the vertical standard B, all constructed to operate substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the top plate or platform 01., having a series of openings formed therein for the purpose described, and provided with a concentric groove, a, the depending frame M, with the lower plate a and the short cylindrical hollow standard or stud F, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The combination with the ratcheted flange I), having concentric groove 1), and the cylinder B of the top plate a, constructed as described, the pulleys I, and balls b all arranged and constructed to operate substantially as shown and described.

6. The top and lower plates a a of the platform, and the short hollow vertical cylinder or stud F, and set-screw f, or its equivalent, with the vertical hollow standard B, having an inner concentric flange or shoulder, b when constructed and combined to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. A wind-Wheel, having its fan-bars journaled eccentrically to the radial arms, and moving independently of each other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A wind-wheel having its fan-bars journaled to the radial arms independently of each other, in combination with said radial arms and the slotted hearings or supports 0, whereby each fan-bar may be adjusted vertically at either end, or both, without aflectin g the position of the adjacent fan-bars, as described.

9. The combination, with the fan-bar Gr,

provided with a grove eccentric to the axis of said fan-bar, of the truss-rod or journal 9, the end caps H H, the radial arms M, and the slotted supports 0, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

10. The shifting-fork L,in combination with the connectingior tilting rod K, and the prowhereby the relative position of the shiftingfork L and fan-bars G is adjusted, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the arms 1 l of the fork L, of the bracket l ,radial arms M, and the spider of a windmill, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

GILES MABIE.

Witnesses: Y AUG. SANDSTEDT, W. J. WELLS. 

